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No-till, nitrogen & replant decisions

01

Farmers attended the Western Iowa No-Till Field Day near Shelby, Iowa last week. The following slides have a few takeaway points from the presenters. Watch for more in-depth articles covering these topics in Successful Farming magazine.

02

Nitrogen needs

The less-than-ideal weather conditions farmers have been dealt this spring left many wondering if their fall-applied or preplant nitrogen will be adequate for crop needs. Pat Reeg, Technology Manager at Iowa Soybean Association’s On-Farm Network, recommends the late-spring nitrate test to evaluate the levels in individual fields.

03

Late-spring nitrate test

The late-spring nitrate test allows farmers to remove guesswork from applying in-season nitrogen. “Efficiency has improved greatly over the years, but there is always room for more improvement,” says Reeg. Soil samples are collected when the corn plants are 6-12 inches tall.

04

2013 challenges

Roger Elmore, Extension Corn Agronomist at Iowa State University, discussed the challenges of the 2013 growing season. If you are replanting corn, he recommends switching from full-season hybrids because of the threat of a fall frost.